Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday Treak

I was dilly dallying yesterday on SCS, and sorting photos getting them ready for this blog etc and I started to get things ready for this post......and then I looked at the time and realised that in my hand was the card I am going to show you today....and the post was going to be collected from the post box in about 45 mins....and if I didn't get it in that box there was no chance that Treak would get it in time for her birthday! The air turned blue, I turned into a sprint runner (not a pretty sight!)....and made it just in time


There is a thread on SCS about people who are like me and collect lots of dp and don't urm use it...so I decided I would make a special effort in honour of Treak and use some dp I had never used before.....this is so spangly and new it was still in it's wrapper...and I used 3 different dps from the collection...

The layout is this weeks sketch challenge on SCS SC234, I stamped and coloured the image, adding a bit of extra glitter on the sea to catch the light.



I used my American Craft Glitter Marker but I found that it rubbed the card, I would say almost to the point of going through the card, has anyone got these markers and had the same problem?


I used some of the dp from the front on the inside to carry the theme through.





So what do you think?


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Recipe:-
Stamps: Inkadinkado - Chelsea Sentiments, Only a Kid Once
Ink: Momento
Cardstock: DCWV
Patterned Paper: DCWV - Grade School
Accessories: Prismacolor pencils, gamasol, copics, American Craft glitter marker- pure glitter, stickles

With Sympathy...

Never the easiest of cards to make but ones that mean so much to those who receive them. Two close friends are going through some rough times at the moment, one has just lost a father, the other is preparing to lose theirs soon.

I was worried because I work away a lot from home that when the time comes I would not be able to take the time I would want to on the card for our second friend so I made one just in case (hoping that I won't have to use it anytime soon, but realistically knowing I will)

I used a layout from Splitcoaststampers sketches challenges to help in the process, the cardstock is all from the new range of DCWV La Creme, the image stamp is one of the new ones from Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen range, and I think the sentiment is from Stampendous. Both cards are slightly different but on just.

I put a poem inside each of the cards on a parchment insert that we used on my Dad remembrance bookmark, I will be sharing that poem with you on Sunday (Fathers Day). It is beautiful, and 4 years on I still have that bookmark on my desk and each and every time I sit there I see my Dads and occasionally I read the poem again and it manages to make me smile and cry all at the same time!

Vrom...vrom

I have talked about this before, I know, I know its a sign of old age to repeat yourself but I can't help myself but I find if I am to focus and get some crafting done I have to limit my choices....and I know I am privileged that I have the option of choice...the problem is that I have toooooo much of it and I can't make a decision and I spend hours looking, stroking, wondering, deciding, putting back and not doing anything

So I went to where my lovely Dp is located in my craft room, took out some scrapbooking paper that I had acquired earlier in the year that was to nice to use, I then headed over to all my stamps and randomly picked some packs of new stamps that have never been touched with ink....and said to myself ....USE THEM

and this is the result...............


The DP is from CollagePress.com Tell Your Story and the collection is called Seeds, it is double sided cardstock and it is beautiful visually as well as to use. The base card is 5ins cream square card, I also used some forest green cardstock from Bazzill (this is lush, its textured on one side and smooth on the other). The dino and the sentiment are from Woodware - Dino Friends and are both stamped using as usual for me Graphite Black Brilliance ink. The Dino was stamped on some white cardstock, coloured using Copics, cut out and mounted onto some 3d foam. You may also be able to see that I have used one of my Cuttlebug embossing folders on the green piece that goes the width of the card to give some more dimension. The overall layout is from this weeks sketch challenge over on Splitcoastampers, you can check out the sketch and the wonderful cards here.

Over on the wonderful Arty Girlz Challenge blog this week the challenge is make a male/man card and I think my card qualifies! again another great place to check out for great cards and designs, you can find it here

Upbeat, positive and ready for life....

It's is so easy when it's dark, cold, dreary and depressing outside to bring that into your home and take on the mood of the weather....well today I decided that no matter what the weather was doing outside I was going to try an remain upbeat! So yes I have the obligatory piece of black clothing on but I have got a shocking pink top on to go with it!!!

The card I am sharing with you today is based on the current sketch challenge over on Splitcoastampers, it is a nice clean look, which is what I am tending to prefer at the moment. And like a good lil' girl I used some of my extensive range of papers that I have been stroking for years, and a stamp that I haven't used yet! I have also been looking at the current challenge over on Daring Card Makers, its called Most Distressing, I am pushing my luck by saying my paper is distressed...OK I admit I didn't distress it but it is very distressed looking!

The image was stamped with Graphite Black Brilliance ink and left to dry while I measured, cut and placed the patterned Paper Elements - Sweet Peppermint cardstock onto my white A5 card. I coloured the Geisha using my Copics and Prismacolor Metallic Gold pen, outlined her with cool grey, and then lightly brushed over the whole image and then focused on the edges with Pearl Ex Powder Pigment in Blue Russet. To help incorporated the gold that I had used on the Geisha into the whole card I placed gold dots using my Prismacolor Pen around the outside of the main mat area.

What do you think?


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Recipe -
Stamp - Dimension Fourth
Paper - Paper Elements - Sweet Peppermint, standard white cardstock
Ink - Graphite Black Brilliance
Accessories - Copics, Prismacolor Maker, SCS sketch

Did you know that today is Workers Memorial Day - international day of remembrance and action for workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work.

VSN Entries

Had a busy weekend crafting as joined in the Virtual Stamp Night over on Splitcoastampers.... you have a challenge issed each hour, and 45 and only 45mins to create it from scratch!

I think I am just being really indecisive at the moment! I was making a card for the Sketch Challenge over on Splitcoaststampers and I ended up making two cards, as I started 1 and didn't think part of it matched so made another one using the bit that didn't match....and I am still not sure....ahhhhh
This frog is for my friend Celie who loves frogs (I have no idea!) and she is having an operation today on her eyes.


Recipe
Stamps: Encouraging Words - Stampendous
Paper: Laura Ashley DP, Bazzill Basic Cardstock
Ink: Brilliance - Pearlescent Crimson and Pearlecent Ivy
Accessories: American Crafts ribbon

Recipe
Stamps: Butterflies- Laura Ashley, Sentiment -Will 'n Way
Paper: Bazzill Basic Cardstock
Ink: Brilliance - Pearlescent Crimson. Pearlecent Ivy, Pearlecent Orchid, Versa Color - Sage
Accessories: Fiskars embossing template

Here is a card that I made yesterday for this weeks sketch challenge on
Splitcoaststampers (you can find the info on the sketch here)
I don' think I like it!
But I decided it was good to load the good the bad and the ugly!

I have been having a nightmare with my car this week,
I took it yesterday to be fixed, left it with them and
2 1/2 hours later they phoned me to tell me they had
ordered the wrong part...........I had been sitting
in a cafe waiting for them.....
so I have to drop it off again at 10 today....
heaven help them if they don't sort it out today

Recipe
Stamps: HOTP, Autumn Leaves
Paper: Sola Amy Butler for K&CO
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Nestabilites
Techniques: Stamping

Back to work!

The Try a New Technique Challenge (TLC161) over on Splitcoaststampers intrigued me when it was loaded on Monday, and it was something I knew I had to play with! I try to make as many cards as I can each month for Postpals, its a wonderful cause and anything that can bring a smile to sick children has to be a winner really hasn't it!

Today is a strange day really, the first day back to work for me since the 14th of March, not that I have been off sunning myself or anything more a case of being taxi for MIL. I have loads to do and little inspiration to do any of it! my excitement this afternoon is taking my car for its yearly MOT test....can I contain myself I wonder

Recipe
DCWV Teen Designer Paper and Cardstock

Plain Whitecardstock

Stamped image and sentiment from Woodware - Playtime

Ink - Stazon Jet Black

Colours - Copics and fine liner in black

Brad and chipboard arrow - Brenda

Countdown to Easter

I had a chance to play today! yippeeeeee......

I wanted to make OH a special Easter card, but as he doesn't really do Easter I had to do something with a twist!

Recipe

Stamps from I brake for stamps and Pink Cat Studio

Colours - Copic

Ink - Stazon and Versa Colour

Paper -K & Company

Cardstock - Craftwork Cards

Heart shaped gems - papermania

Ribbon - Americancrafts

Layout - SCS